UAE to launch remote-sensing satellite with GCC countries

Xinhua Abu Dhabi, April 29 (Xinhua) The United Arab Emirates (UAE) plans to launch a joint remote-sensing satellite with other member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the Gulf News reported Tuesday. The plan was revealed by Brigadier Khalifa Mohammad Al Rumaithi, chief of military works of the UAE armed forces, during an interaction at the Defence Geospatial Intelligence Middle East (DGIME) here.

The forum, aimed at promoting inter-operability and integration to support national security objectives and operational requirements, opened Monday in Dubai.

Al Rumaithi said the joint remote-sensing satellite project had come a long way, but did not give details.

In addition to the joint remote-sensing satellite, he said UAE’s first satellite DubaiSat-1 will be launched by the end of 2008 for civil applications.

DubaiSat-1 will provide data for infrastructure development, rural and urban development planning, management of natural disasters and provision of accurate maps, he added.

GCC, established in 1981, is a regional bloc comprising Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE for economic and political cooperation. Xinhua